Thrifty Alexander is the invention of the Harvey Blodgett Company who specialized in bank and trust company promotion. Blodgett's character shows up in ads for several banks in the 1920s touting the benefits of savings accounts. One particular gimmick involved a series of 52 collectible poster stamps available from banks upon opening a savings book account or for general bank promotion. The stamps chronicle Thrifty Alexander on his road to fortune.

The artwork was the creation of noted American cartoonist and graphic designer Frederick Goss Cooper. FG Cooper is best known for his big-head characters and work in lettering and graphic design. His logo appears in the print ad carrying our button's illustration for the City Bank Trust of Syracuse, NY (1923, righthand column). Cooper's work is featured in posters, ads and books from 1910-1930. He was also a founder of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA).